Students fight insensitive Halloween costumes

National campaign starts conversation at FSU about cultural stereotypes

Oct. 30, 2012

Students from Ohio University created a photo campaign to fight cultural stereotypes that result from Halloween costumes. In this photo, a student says, “You wear the costume for one night. I wear the stigma for life.” / Photo courtesy of STARS at Ohio University

Written by

Krista Wright

Contributing Writer

The world will see a sharp increase of Supermen, firefighters, construction workers and Wonder Women on Halloween this Wednesday, the one night of the year people pretend to be someone they can’t the other 364 days.

However, many students—including many from FSU—claim some costumes draw the line between funny and insensitive, including “sexy” geishas, “gangster” rappers and Asian “mathletes.”

“I believe Halloween is the time to express your creative side,” said Niladi Dupa, a junior international affairs major. “But I think people do forget that imaginary line that separates socially accepted and just plain discrimination.”

The line, she said, is crossed when costume distributors throw the notion of being “socially accepted” out the window and focus more on what can bring in some laughs—and cash.

Back in 2009, Target, along with the Web sites of Toys R Us, Amazon and Walgreens, were asked to remove a Halloween costume from their inventory that received national criticism. Forum novelties stocked shelves with an adult costume called the “Illegal Alien,” complete with a green card. The description of the costume read: “He didn’t just cross a boarder, he crossed a galaxy!”

Angelica Salas with the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles described the costume as “distasteful, mean-spirited and ignorant of social stigmas” on NBCLosangeles.com.

NBC Los Angeles also stated that after Target removed the costume from their Web site because of the many complaints that were received, Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas told the Associated Press that Target had no intention of selling the costume and it was added to their online inventory by mistake.

It’s no surprise, then, that students across the country have joined together in national efforts to eradicate costumes that perpetuate stereotypes.

Last year, Ohio University’s Students Teaching Against Racism in Society (STARS), kicked off “We’re a Culture not a Costume” campaign that received national attention for fighting Halloween costumes they consider offensive or stereotypical against a variety of races and cultures.

The campaign included a number of posters with the tagline “You wear the costume for one night, I wear the stigma for life.” The posters got such positive attention that the group has continued their efforts for Halloween 2012.

“We decided to continue the posters because we agreed that they were not only successful last year, but made a difference on campus and in the global community,” President of STARS Keith Hawkins told CNN.

Hawkins said he thinks it’s important to continue the message of racial awareness and inclusiveness.

“When a costume portrays a hero or legend in general I would say it is not offensive,” Hawkins told CNN. “It is the act of either using the hero or legend that over-exaggerates negative stereotypes that often stigmatize marginalized cultures that makes the costume offensive.”

To avoid offending others with a costume choice, Dupa recommended that those planning to dress up ask themselves a simple question before making the choice.“Though I don’t have a personal experience with being discriminated against, I have a rule that if you’re making your costume and the question arises, ‘Do you think this will offend anyone?’ don’t do it,” Dupa said.

Other FSU students, like senior international affairs major Gavin Benner, think Halloween costumes shouldn’t be taken so seriously and that STARS is being a little too sensitive.

“These [costumes] are all portrayals which take place in film and television all the time,” Benner said. “There will always be people who are being irresponsible and intentionally offensive, but that is the vast minority. When you take into account that everyone has a freedom to expression, then I believe it isn’t anyone’s place to suppress that.”